In advance of a pivotal court hearing this week in the deportation case of Mahmoud Khalil, the Palestinian protest leader at Columbia University, a judge demanded that the State Department lay out its case against him.

Lawyers for the detained Columbia graduate said that the lack of substantive charges against him requires more information from the secretary of state. They acknowledge they are likely to fail.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed the feds can deport Mahmoud Khalil solely over his “antisemitic” beliefs, ahead of a Friday hearing in his immigration case.